Written Answers Monday 1 March 2010

Scottish Executive

Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued against landlords under the Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004, broken down by local authority area.

Alex Neil: Information on antisocial behaviour notices served by local authorities is not held centrally. Provision of such information requires local authorities to gather and maintain data. Subsequent submission of this information to the Scottish government for national collation would incur additional costs to the tax payer.

Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what information is available to help local authorities check whether individuals are acting as landlords and require to be registered under the terms of the Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004.

Alex Neil: Each local authority has their own procedure for identifying unregistered landlords. This will include liaison with housing and planning departments. The range of information utilised includes new applications for housing benefit or council tax. Councils may also engage with letting agents and local newspapers encouraging them to only accept business from landlords who can demonstrate they are registered.

Central Heating

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes with a band E energy performance in the (a) Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency, (b) East Ayrshire Council area and (c) South Ayrshire Council area have been accepted for the Energy Assistance Package since the eligibility criteria changed in November 2009.

Alex Neil: The change to eligibility criteria for Stage 4, that I announced in November 2009, came into effect on 21 December 2009, following an amendment to the regulations.‪

  While information about the Energy Assistance Package is not held at constituency level, I am happy to provide the figures for East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire.

  ‪The numbers of households living in homes with a Band E energy performance that have been surveyed and accepted for Stage 4 of the Energy Assistance Package, between 21 December 2009 and 31 January 2010 are as follows:

  

East Ayrshire
13


South Ayrshire
20

Diabetes

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30951 by Nicola Sturgeon on 1 February 2010, which NHS boards have, as of 1 February 2010, yet to respond regarding their planned investment for the next three to five years in respect of insulin pumps and the associated structured education.

Nicola Sturgeon: Every NHS board has now provided a response.

Domestic Abuse

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases involving domestic violence toward (a) women and (b) men in the Lothians region a custodial sentence of six months or less were given in each of the last five years, also expressed as a percentage.

Fergus Ewing: Information on the gender of victims is not held centrally.

  The recording of aggravators has improved over time therefore caution is needed when comparing changes over time. 2005-06 is the first year where it has been considered that the use and recording of domestic abuse aggravator codes from the Scottish Government Court Proceedings Database has been of sufficient coverage to be used.

  There were 38, 50 and 40 persons given a custodial sentence of six months or less, in the three financial years 2005-06 to 2007-08, where a domestic aggravator code has been recorded against the offence, in the Lothians region. The Lothians region has been defined using an approximate mapping of sheriff courts into local authority areas. Some sheriff courts will deal with cases from more than one local authority area, and Midlothian does not contain a sheriff court.

  The data recording codes for aggravators changed on 10 March 2008. The new codes will be reconciled against the existing codes when the 2008-09 data is available in March 2010.

Education

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that librarians supporting the delivery of the Curriculum for Excellence outwith schools receive the necessary training.

Michael Russell: Staff in libraries, outwith educational institutions as well as in them, are well placed to support the personalised learning at the heart of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). Local authorities, which manage a substantial proportion of library provision, are well placed to ensure that contribution is maximised, co-ordinated with that of other partners, including consideration of appropriate training.

  In addition, the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), funded by the Scottish Government, provides national development support for libraries and librarians. For example they recently published Improving libraries for learners, developed with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE), setting out key messages about the role of libraries in helping children and young people develop the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence. Although addressed primarily to school libraries and resource centres, the guidance highlights that the learning agenda encompasses all libraries.

  SLIC has also recently updated Service development and self-evaluation for library and information services in Scottish Further Education colleges, again with HMIE, which includes consideration of how librarians in that sector support Curriculum for Excellence. Finally, SLIC held support events for librarians on CfE in 2008 and currently plans to undertake further events this year.

Education

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that career guidance practitioners responsible for the delivery of the Curriculum for Excellence receive the necessary training.

Michael Russell: Career Guidance Practitioners are well placed to support young people to develop the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence. Skills Development Scotland (SDS), the main employer of Career Guidance Practitioners in Scotland, represent the interests of Career Guidance Practitioners on the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board.

  SDS Career Guidance staff should be involved in continuing professional development opportunities at a local level that will assist them in contributing to Curriculum for Excellence. This reflects the fact that although SDS is the main employer of career guidance practitioners in Scotland, teachers, school pastoral and guidance staff and others have key roles to play in supporting young people in their future career choices.

General Practitioners

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GP practices use premium rate telephone numbers, broken down by NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: As at 24 February 2010 there were 43 GP practices in Scotland using 084 telephone numbers. The following table records the number by individual NHS board:

  

Health Board
Number


Ayrshire and Arran
4


Borders 
0


Dumfries and Galloway
0


Fife
1


Forth Valley
4


Grampian
19


Greater Glasgow and Clyde 
4


Highland
3


Lanarkshire 
3


Lothian 
5


Orkney
0


Shetland
0


Tayside
0


Western Isles
0


Total 
43



  Note: Not all 084 telephone numbers are charged at a premium rate. Callers using BT landlines are charged at local rates. Mobile and other landline providers normally charge premium rates to 084 numbers.

Health

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many operations were cancelled by NHS Lothian (a) in 2007-08, (b) in 2008-09 and (c) from 1 April to 31 December 2009, broken down by reason.

Nicola Sturgeon: The specific information is not available centrally.

  Information, although limited, is available on the number of hospital stays where operations/procedures were not carried out following admission to hospital. The number of cancelled operations or procedures by NHS Lothian in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and for the period 1 April to 30 September 2009 (the latest available data) is provided in the following table. To provide context, we have also included information on total number of hospitals stays as well as the rate of cancellation.

  It is not possible from centrally held data to identify specific reasons for the cancellations. Operations may be cancelled due to a number of reasons such as a particularly high level of emergency admissions, staff sickness, patient is unfit for treatment on admission or the patient has failed to follow pre-admission advice such as fasting before admission.

  NHSScotland: Number of Cancelled Operations/Procedures1,2, Acute Inpatient/Day Case Discharges and rate of Cancellation

  

Date
Cancelled Operations/Procedures
Total Number of Hospitals Stays
Rate of Cancellation


2007-08
1,579
166,672
0.9%


2008-09
1,672
169,840
1.0%


1 April to 30 September 2009
781
83,758
0.9%



  Source: ISD Scotland – Information derived from data collected on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. Up to six diagnoses (one principal and five secondary) are recorded on SMR01 returns. All six diagnosis positions have been used to identify cancelled operations. The following International Statistical Classifications of Disease and Related Health problems 10 revision (ICD-10) code has been used to identify cancelled operations/procedures z53: person encountering health service specific procedure not carried out.

  2. Cases where an operation or procedure was cancelled prior to the patient being admitted to hospital are not included.

Higher Education

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the paper on the analysis of capital projects issued by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 2 February 2010, what the implications are of the reduction of £3 million in the 2010-11 capital budget allocated to the Glasgow School of Art rebuilding project.

Michael Russell: The Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council has advised that there is no cut in the overall project budget for the Glasgow School of Art and the project is being delivered as planned. As the complete business case is still being finalised to ensure it is completely robust, the project will not require as much spending in the next financial year as originally planned. This is the reason for the change in the planned budget for 2010-11.

Higher Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students entered Scottish universities in each year from 2000-01, broken down by (a) university and (b) domicile of student.

Michael Russell: Table 1 contains the numbers of entrants to Scottish higher education institutions in each year from 2000-01 to 2007-08 by institution, table 2 contains the number of entrants by domicile.

  Table 1a. Entrants to Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEI) by Institution: 2000-01 to 2003-04

  

 
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


All HEIs
73,875
86,210
85,285
91,680


Bell College1
0
2,425
2,500
2,435


Edinburgh College of Art
550
615
575
580


Glasgow Caledonian University
5,305
6,455
6,480
6,935


Glasgow School of Art
650
460
470
550


Heriot-Watt University
2,400
2,655
2,870
3,035


Napier University
6,560
5,660
6,060
6,170


Northern College of Education2
1,460
0
0
0


Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
2,005
2,020
2,185
1,920


Scottish Agricultural College
450
385
345
425


The Open University
4,880
5,555
4,325
6,000


The Robert Gordon University
4,285
4,325
4,800
4,980


The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
240
260
275
255


The University of Aberdeen
3,675
4,635
5,110
5,035


The University of Dundee
4,520
5,735
6,475
6,825


The University of Edinburgh
7,730
7,710
7,980
8,555


The University of Glasgow
9,835
10,815
10,735
10,805


The University of Paisley3
4,470
5,175
4,605
5,760


The University of St Andrews
2,560
3,045
2,710
2,965


The University of Stirling
2,915
3,170
3,300
3,185


The University of Strathclyde
7,140
8,575
8,350
8,950


The University of the West of Scotland
0
0
0
0


UHI Millennium Institute4
0
4,510
3,320
4,635


University of Abertay Dundee
2,235
2,030
1,815
1,670



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

  Notes:

  Figures in this table have been rounded to the nearest 5. 0, 1, 2 have been rounded to 0.

  Individual values may not sum to totals due to rounding.

  1. Bell College became an HEI during the period 2001-02 and during the period 2007-08 merged with Paisley University to become the University of the West of Scotland.

  2. Northern College of Education merged with the Universities of Aberdeen and Dundee during the period 2001-02.

  3. Paisley University merged with Bell College during the period 2007-08 to become the University of the West of Scotland.

  4. UHI (University of the Highlands and Islands) Millennium Institute became an HEI during the period 2000-01.

  Table 1b. Entrants to Scottish Higher Education Institutions by Institution: 2004-05 to 2005-06

  

 
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08


All HEIs
90,730
97,040
103,575
100,115


Bell College1
2,250
3,130
3,530
0


Edinburgh College of Art
580
610
735
585


Glasgow Caledonian University
6,300
8,155
8,270
7,550


Glasgow School of Art
465
495
525
590


Heriot-Watt University
3,015
3,330
3,790
3,635


Napier University
5,950
5,715
5,870
6,235


Northern College of Education2
0
0
0
0


Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
2,465
2,590
2,405
2,360


Scottish Agricultural College
475
415
490
560


The Open University
5,085
6,715
7,730
7,280


The Robert Gordon University
5,240
5,100
5,325
5,220


The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
275
275
305
365


The University of Aberdeen
4,845
5,125
5,355
5,520


The University of Dundee
6,960
6,780
6,645
6,420


The University of Edinburgh
8,240
8,755
8,695
8,975


The University of Glasgow
10,615
10,545
11,115
10,915


The University of Paisley3
6,970
7,400
8,640
0


The University of St Andrews
3,220
3,335
3,375
3,085


The University of Stirling
2,925
3,180
4,065
3,515


The University of Strathclyde
8,530
9,360
9,500
8,960


The University of the West of Scotland
0
0
0
11,235


UHI Millennium Institute4
4,480
4,195
5,280
5,230


University of Abertay Dundee
1,850
1,840
1,930
1,885



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

  Notes:

  Figures in this table have been rounded to the nearest 5. 0, 1, 2 have been rounded to 0.

  Individual values may not sum to totals due to rounding.

  1. Bell College became an HEI during the period 2001-02 and during the period 2007-08 merged with Paisley University to become the University of the West of Scotland.

  2. Northern College of Education merged with the Universities of Aberdeen and Dundee during the period 2001-02.

  3. Paisley University merged with Bell College during the period 2007-08 to become the University of the West of Scotland.

  4. UHI (University of the Highlands and Islands) Millennium Institute became an HEI during the period 2000-01.

  Table 2a. Entrants to Scottish Higher Education Institutions by Domicile: 2000-01 to 2003-04

  

 
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


All domiciles
73,875
86,210
85,285
91,680


Scotland
57,015
67,525
64,810
70,085


England
5,640
5,980
5,770
5,860


Wales
175
190
200
215


Northern Ireland
1,670
1,720
1,835
1,650


Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man1
0
0
0
0


UK Unknown1
65
150
395
255


Other EU2
3,765
3,895
4,235
4,705


Non-EU Europe
650
605
640
680


Non-European
4,740
5,975
7,360
8,180


Non-EU unknown
5
20
45
50


Other Unknown
150
150
0
0


Total UK
64,570
75,570
73,005
78,060


Total non-UK
9,305
10,645
12,280
13,615



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

  Figures in this table have been rounded to the nearest 5. 0, 1, 2 have been rounded to 0.

  Notes:

  Individual values may not sum to totals due to rounding.

  Domicile: region of the entrant’s permanent or home address prior to entry to the course.

  1. Prior to 2004-05 entrants from Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man were included in the category "UK unknown".

  2. EU data includes accession countries according to EU membership at the start of each academic year.

  Table 2b. Entrants to Scottish Higher Education Institutions by Domicile: 2004-05 to 2007-08

  

 
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08


All domiciles
90,730
97,040
103,575
100,115


Scotland
68,240
72,275
75,825
72,140


England
6,045
6,805
6,675
7,020


Wales
205
225
220
250


Northern Ireland
1,525
1,530
1,520
1,460


Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man1
50
75
75
70


UK Unknown1
110
80
145
485


Other EU2
5,110
5,595
6,245
6,485


Non-EU Europe
445
470
565
550


Non-European
8,955
9,955
12,245
11,640


Non-EU unknown
45
35
55
15


Other Unknown
0
0
0
0


Total UK
76,180
80,990
84,460
81,425


Total non-UK
14,550
16,050
19,110
18,690



  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

  Notes:

  Figures in this table have been rounded to the nearest 5. 0, 1, 2 have been rounded to 0.

  Individual values may not sum to totals due to rounding.

  Domicile: region of the entrant’s permanent or home address prior to entry to the course.

  1. Prior to 2004-05 entrants from Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man were included in the category "UK unknown".

  2. EU data includes accession countries according to EU membership at the start of each academic year.

Higher Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students were given places on Scottish university courses in each year from 2000-01, broken down by (a) university and (c) domicile of student.

Michael Russell: The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) provide application services to UK universities for full-time higher education courses at undergraduate (and some postgraduate) courses. Applications may also be made directly to institutions. Raw application data is not held centrally by Scottish Government.

  The information requested above is available from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) www.ucas.ac.uk/about_us/stat_services/stats_online/. UCAS make acceptance data available through online datasets and online statistical enquiry tools. They also regularly issue press releases containing acceptance statistics.

Higher Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for places at Scottish universities were received in each year from 2000-01, including for 2010-11, broken down by (a) university and (c) domicile of student.

Michael Russell: The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) provide application services to UK universities for full-time higher education courses at undergraduate (and some postgraduate) courses. Applications may also be made directly to institutions. Raw application data is not held centrally by Scottish Government.

  The information requested above is available from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) www.ucas.ac.uk/about_us/stat_services/stats_online/. UCAS make applications data available through online datasets and online statistical enquiry tools. They also regularly issue press releases containing application statistics.

Infant Mortality

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a critical incident review is undertaken following all stillbirths.

Shona Robison: Maternity units will review a stillbirth at a local perinatal mortality meeting. This may take the form of a critical incident review or root cause analysis.

Infant Mortality

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what national learning points arising from critical incident reports on stillbirths have been issued to NHS boards.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Perinatal and Infant Mortality and Morbidity Report includes information on numbers, rates, causes and associated factors for all stillbirths and neonatal deaths in Scotland, and makes recommendations for practice where appropriate. The production of the report is overseen by a multidisciplinary committee which includes public partners (lay representation). The report is published annually on the NHS QIS and ISD websites.

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/3112.html.

  Maternity and neonatal units within Scotland conduct regular multidisciplinary perinatal mortality meetings at which the cause of and the circumstances surrounding each stillbirth or neonatal death within that unit are examined. Good and less satisfactory practice are identified and recommendations made for future practice and/or the management of any future pregnancy to an affected mother.

Media

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what engagement it has had with the National Union of Journalists in the last year regarding the future of the newspaper industry.

Jim Mather: On 19 December 2008, I met Paul Holleran, National Union of Journalists (NUJ) to discuss the Herald and Times Group.

  On 4 February 2009, representatives from the NUJ, including Paul Holleran, attended the stakeholder event which I facilitated for the newspaper industry in Scotland.

  On 27 April 2009, I met Paul Holleran (NUJ) to discuss the Daily Record/Sunday Mail dispute.

  On 12 February 2010, at my invitation, Paul Holleran of the National Union of Journalists, spoke at the Scottish Local Newspaper Summit on the future of Scottish Local Newspapers and the proposed legislative changes to allow electronic publication of public notices by local authorities.

  I have also corresponded with Paul Holleran on a number of occasions on related matters.

Mental Health

Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its amendment 36 to the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill, which was passed in committee on 26 January 2010, has relevance to the position of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.

Shona Robison: Amendment 36 to the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill sets out examples of protections for the purposes of the preconditions in section 12 on the use of the Order-making power in section 10. The power in section 10, and therefore the preconditions that must be satisfied, apply to the bodies listed in schedule 3, which include the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.

NHS Staff

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid as performance-related bonus to managers in each NHS board in each of the last five years.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are approximately 1,300 staff in NHSScotland, equating to less than 1% of the workforce, covered by the executive and senior management performance pay arrangements.

  The executive and senior management pay arrangements were introduced with effect from 1 October 2005 and comparable figures therefore exist for the last four years. Pay progression and the payment of non-consolidated awards are both determined by performance. The performance management arrangements for this group are the responsibility of individual Health Board Remuneration Committees with national oversight and moderation provided by the independently chaired National Performance Management Committee.

  Non-consolidated payments to NHS executives and senior managers have been made in three of the last four years. The percentage payments for specified levels of performance are set out in the relevant pay circulars which are: CEL(2007)4, CEL(2007)22 and CEL(2008)52.

  The Scottish Government does not hold pay records relating to individual health boards but does receive national data from the payroll system. The following information is taken from that source.

  

Year
Total of Non-Consolidated Payments
As % of total Executive and Senior Management Paybill


2006-07
£330,091
0.38%


2007-08
£484,008
0.53%


2008-09
£397,036
0.39%


2009-10
0
0

NHS Staff

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many epilepsy specialist nurses there are, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on staff in post in NHSScotland is published annually by National Services Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland, as part of the workforce census as at 30 September each year. Data for clinical nurse specialists by specialty, NHS region and NHS board is available at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5352.html  - cns.

NHS Staff

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors from outwith the United Kingdom are working for NHS hospitals, broken down by NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally. However, information on staff in post in NHSScotland is published annually by National Services Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD). Data for hospital, community and public health services staff by grade, country of qualification, NHS region and NHS board is available at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5896.html .

NHS Staff

Joe FitzPatrick (Dundee West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a decision has been made about the pay of NHS executives and senior managers for (a) 2009-10 or (b) 2010-11.

Nicola Sturgeon: The government has made clear its intention to impose a pay freeze from 2010-11 for higher paid staff in the public sector and this will apply to the most senior managers in NHSScotland. The details of how this will be implemented will be announced in the new financial year.

  In anticipation of this, and taking into account the current economic climate, the government has agreed a very stringent pay settlement for 2009-10 for NHS executive and senior managers.

  It must be remembered that this pay award relates to work done in 2008-09 and that the pay of executives and senior managers in NHSScotland is performance related. Nevertheless, our firm commitment to pay restraint is evident in the 2009-10 settlement for this group. We have removed all non-consolidated payments. We have frozen the pay ranges of the most senior managers (those on grades D to I) and have limited the pay progression for high performers within these frozen ranges. The cost of this will be contained within the existing paybill.

  For senior managers (those on grades A to C, with salaries between £42,425 and £76,134) we have approved an increase of 1.5% to the pay ranges and modest performance based progression with effect from October 2009. The overall increase to the paybill for this group will be 1.76% of the 2008-09 total.

  The pay award for 2009-10 will be promulgated by a circular to the NHS and copies are available at http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/publications/publication.asp.

Social Care

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the regulatory action of the Care Commission is proportionate to the service, taking into account the number of service users, the number of care episodes delivered and the number of complaints received.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that regulatory action relating to social care providers is proportionate and has no impact on the future sustainability of these services.

Shona Robison: The Care Commission takes a risk-based and proportionate approach to regulation. It takes account of a number of factors when determining the regulatory activity required for each service to ensure that people receive good quality care. These include the size of the service, the number of people who receive care, complaints activity and regulatory history. As part of the corporate governance arrangements, officials monitor regularly the commission’s regulatory activities, including its approach to inspections.

  The creation of Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) will build on the work of the predecessor bodies. At present the Care Commission must inspect services at a minimum frequency set out in regulations. A key opportunity for SCSWIS is that it will be able to move away from a fixed programme of cyclical inspection to move further towards risk-based and more proportionate scrutiny.

Social Care

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support is being made available to encourage voluntary and private sector social care providers to develop and take up the use of electronic technologies to improve the delivery of care and support services.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government’s Joint Improvement Team is supporting the development of Telecare services in Scotland through a £16.35 million national programme, launched in August 2006. All 32 health and social care partnerships across Scotland are now in receipt of funding from the programme, and all are pursuing and developing local telecare services. Additional funding of £4 million is being made available for the financial year 2010-11 for the programme, which will be allocated to local health, housing and social care partnerships responsible for providing local care and support services in order to encourage a consistent and mainstreamed approach to telehealthcare across Scotland.

  Partnerships in receipt of 2010-11 funding will wish to work closely with local private and voluntary sector providers of care and support, to develop integrated healthcare solutions which benefit their specific client groups in their respective areas.

  As part of the eCare Programme, Local Data Sharing Partnerships are upgrading their social care systems to allow them to interact on a multi-agency basis with partners across health, education, the police, and other public sector agencies. Greater emphasis is also being placed on the involvement of the third sector in the technology supporting Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) requirements, which involves private and voluntary sectors.

Social Care

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to support the development of care providers to ensure that a range of sustainable provision is available in the future.

Shona Robison: In response to concerns about the sustainability and fairness of current and future care for older people in the face of financial and demographic pressures, a major work programme – Reshaping Care for Older People – is being taken forward in partnership with NHS Scotland and COSLA through the Ministerial Strategic Group on Health and Community Care.

  The programme aspires to develop practical ideas for change that are sufficiently radical to meet the changing needs of Scotland’s population by enabling people to stay at home or in a homely setting, with maximum independence, for as long as possible. A key aim is to ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to enable service providers to respond effectively to future demand for services.

  So far the programme has focussed on discussion with colleagues with a professional and clinical interest in delivering services for older people. As part of a wider engagement process and to further analyse and develop emerging proposals, the programme will from March 2010 until the summer, seek views from the public and from a wider range of stakeholders including patients, service users and private and voluntary sector service providers.

  Full account will be taken of developments in relation to provision of care and benefits being pursued by the UK Government, on which separate consultations are being undertaken.